Brother, what is independence like?
by The Squishy Panda
Summary: A Hetalia story I started writing on a whim about Indochina.
1. Chapter 1

A letter from China came to France yet again. He opened cupboard of his desk and tossed it among all the others he had received before, knowing it'd ask the same thing asked whenever China calls. It repeated every time:

_"Ah, Francis, aru... I just wanted to call to check on them... I assume you've been feeding them well right, aru? You, I can at least trust with that, aru. I fear for Hong Kong, aru. Could you bring him something decent to eat the next time you visit Arthur? I wouldn't be surprised if he's been skipping meals there with that Englishman's cooking, aru!_

_By the way, aru... You've been taking good care of them, right? You're not trying anything funny on them, are you, aru?_

_....Have they grown, aru?"_

France almost felt guilty for China. His younger siblings, all beginning to leave him or get taken away. Japan had left and took Taiwan. England took away Hong Kong. That already was three of his dearest siblings and yet here is France, sitting at his desk, not daring to respond to any of those questions asked. France had taken three more of his younger siblings at once, renaming them the French Indochina triplets. Out of all China's siblings that were ripped away from him, these three got the least care. Mistreated, forgotten, ignored... Yet, they still called him "Père" as they were told to. Then, a knock came to his office door. It was the triplets. Vietnam opened the door and spoke.

"Père? We'd like to ask you anything."

"Oui? You may ask me anything, ma fille."

"Brother Canada... He got independence, didn't he? Sister Kampuchea noticed that he isn't here as much anymore and..."

She hesitated in saying the rest and Cambodia finished for her in a serious voice.

"...We decided that we want independence too."

France got up and slapped her across the face, becoming furious. Cambodia, however, still stood there and glared from the corner of her eye. Vietnam, acting on both her and the other female nation's behalf, shoved their father into the desk.

"You tore us away from our brother just so you can leave your mark. Think just because you call us your daughters, you can just treat us whatever way you want? You're not our real family!"

She pushed him aside and pulled out the desk cupboard and dumped out all of China's letters. Laos watched each one fall, seeing how much France had kept from them.

"So this was where you kept all of them... Always telling us that brother was too busy and didn't ask or have anything to say to us..." he said, feeling his distrust for France growing.

Cambodia didn't look at them. She quietly murmured things to herself.

"What else to expect from a damn capitalist adult... He wants to keep up us from knowing and lower our hopes to get more control..."

Vietnam nodded in agreement. She picked up the letter France didn't read earlier, tore it open and read it aloud. To his surprise, the letter had actually been different.

_"Francis, you haven't been responding to any of my letters, aru. If I hear word of my siblings in a negative way, I'll be the one to rip something away from you, aru. I might be an old _爷爷 _but I can still fight, aru. Tomorrow, I will be visiting to see for myself how they are doing. I've been left to worry long enough. I will see you then, aru. ~_中国_"_

They placed the letter back on his desk and exited. France get up and dusted himself off.

'When he comes by tomorrow, he's definitely going to decide to support them in a rebellion against me. I have to prepare for battle once more...' he thought, cleaning up the mess of letters.

On the way back to their rooms, Laos began to speak to himself.

"มีจะมีสงครามอื่นได้หรือไม่"

"Có, chúng tôi sẽ." Viet responded.

* Père: French for "father"

*ma fille: French for "my daughter"

*爷爷: Chinese for "grandpa"

*中国: Chinese for "China"

*มีจะมีสงครามอื่นได้หรือไม่: Lao for "We're going to have a war now, aren't we?"

*Có, chúng tôi sẽ: Vietnamese for "Yes, we will."


	2. Chapter 2

France laid on his couch, staring up at the ceiling, remembering what went on during China's visit. He had come in and the first thing he asked was to see his siblings. They talked in a room alone, leaving France outside. But that didn't keep him from listening to their conversation by standing next to the door. At first, it was a regular exchange of "How are you?" questions. When he was nearly convinced that nothing worth listening to would happen, the conversation he waited for began to rise.

_"So... It seems Francis isn't exactly the greatest father, aru... What has he done to your people to give you such scars, aru?"_

_"Well... You had always taught us what you'd eventually do when you start with lies."_

_"You still remember and listen to what I taught you even after all these years...? I'm so happy, aru! Viet would always try to break away and I was convinced you all hated me after she succeeded in doing so, aru!"_

_"Who ever said that I hated you--"_

_"Brother, I know we supposedly broke away from you before but we were still somewhat dependant and still followed most of your ways..."_

_"Ah, yes, aru... Religion, culture, form of government... Though some of you followed India more than me, aru..."_

_"No...! Kampuchea did and I just followed her..."_

_"Yeah, you and Thai copied my writing style... But we're not as dependant as some people."_

_"What do you mean, aru?"_

_"Why don't you ask everyone's favorite triplet?"_

There was a long pause after Cambodia's sentence ended. Vietnam has always seemed to be more strong but at the same time, somewhat dependant. Her calligraphy wasn't like any of the other nations that surrounded her. It didn't really look like Asian calligraphy used by her siblings but more like their father's. Her culture had many similarities to China's and had a mix of France's in it. She was the most rebellious, the most different of all the nations on the peninsula, but that's what made her like America. It got her noticed and gave her everyone's favor. The other two were like Canada. They got along well with him, knowing how he felt. After he started coming home less often, those two knew he got independence and wanted so much to ask him what it's like. But now that he stopped coming back, this was their only chance.

_"....Brother, what is independence like? Papa doesn't want us to know and yet.... We know we want it."_

_"That's a tough question, aru... Let's see... It's tiring, stressful, sometimes painful, aru. But in reality, those are just like another one of life's annoyances compared to how free you are, aru."_

There it was. What France didn't want his children to know, in fear of them leaving him. He didn't want to be like England, the man he always fought with and hated. France was strong, but he didn't want to admit what made him worry the most.

"That England... First Jeanne, then Canada... My beautiful Seychelles... S'il vous plaît, mon Dieu... Ne pas me permettre de perdre plus de mes enfants...."

*S'il vous plaît, mon Dieu... Ne pas me permettre de perdre plus de mes enfants: French for "Please, my God... Do not let me lose any more of my children..."


	3. Chapter 3

The triplets had rebelled a number of times, getting help and support from Thailand and China, the older one had even them a new form of government. Thailand, however, did not just support, he fought too.

March 9, 1945: Japan took full control of Indochina. The triplets still hadn't gained independence yet, but at least they were back with family.

China, being an ally of France, helped him, as well as the three during this time. Vietnam tried her best at rebelling the most. Cambodia used this time to begin making herself a fierce communist party. Laos, even though he was with his sisters, still clung to their father and fought the least.

"Aren't you going to stay with vos soeurs?"

"I want to but... I feel like I need to stay with Papa for a little longer..."

"That's a good son..."

France was a bit relieved. The mark he left on them kept them from completely leaving him. His power over them was being restored. And with Japan, China, England, and India helping him regain that power, he couldn't be happier to get control over them once again.

*vos soeurs: French for "your sisters"


	4. Chapter 4

"Mon Dieu... Is this really what I raised her into?" France spoke to himself has he looked down out of a helicopter at the Khmer Empire. Bodies scattered all over a vast field, his supposedly more "behaved" daughter standing in the middle of them in a black outfit like all the corpses were wearing. He could only tell it was her by the blood red scarf around her neck and her being the only one in the pale, horrifying, rotting faces with a bit of child-like innocence, which of course, she didn't really have anymore. This is what she was dissimulating the past few years under his care? Is that really his precious daughter, once known for her greatest city, the Pearl of Asia, down amongst the corpses, dismembering their heads and gathering skulls? France couldn't believe-- No. He **didn't want** to believe it... The smell of decaying corpses that was rising up to even that high up in the air forced him to, no matter how much he didn't want it. Being a father, he wanted all his children to be happy and to be great. But not like this. He never behaved like a good father though, and this is what became of it.

"Je suis désolé, ma fille bien-aimée..." he whispered as he flew into Thai territory to seek help to end this.

_"It seems all you're hated no matter what you do, mon Anglais~"_

_"Sh-Shut up, git...!!"_

_"Pourquoi~? Both your precious Canada and Seychelles prefer my care, Hong Kong will never willingly forgive you for taking him away from Chine and your little Alfred tries to kill you! India has never liked you in the beginnings as well."_

_"That's with all the love I and care I already gave them. Do you love ALL of your protectorates as I do to my colonies?"_

_"...Quoi?"_

The triplets were fighting again. Not like how children had little sibling quarrels but as nations opposing one another in war. Vietnam had decided, even if they had the same ideals, such a genocide was going too far. Independence truly has its ups and downs.

Now that he got his help stopping Cambodia, France still felt guilt as a father. The last words he heard from Cambodia as he left her with the fallen Khmer Rouge hurt more than any rejection he actually had true feelings for.

_"Je ne comprends pas... Je n'ai fait rien de mal! I was doing what you had encouraged me to as one of your protectorates! F- Father, you're a traitor! Just leave already!"_

* Je suis désolé, ma fille bien-aimée: I'm sorry, my beloved daughter.

*Je ne comprends pas... Je n'ai fait rien de mal!: I don't understand... I've done nothing wrong!


	5. Chapter 5

Years after being forced to give his Indochinese colonies independence, it's like there was no longer any distance between them all. France came into the room where the Francophonie meeting was held that day. The three had the three seats directly next to his seat, having a little sibling quarrel over what seemed to be their last bottle of French wine. Belgium, to the right of his seat, trying to separate or at least keep them from getting violent like a good aunt, beckoned him to assist her. He smiled and tore the three away from each other, giving the two that didn't keep their grip on the bottle their own to keep them all content. It was one big family again.

Thailand, merely there as an observing member was there rather more to keep an eye his sisters and brother, made sure France was doing what he was supposed to. France had told him so many times that it wasn't necessary and was actually rather confusing for him to be there.

_"Thailand, you don't have to worry. Those things are all in the past already."_

_No response came so the Frenchman tries something else._

_"I can't tell who I'm calling on when you and Laos are practically the same! Take off your glasses and only your height will differ!"_

_"Then you can tell who's who~ Good job!"_

_"I'm being serious, Thailand. Is it really necessary to have to watch the meeting every time?"_

_"Of course! We're inseparable! ...And it was either me or India, and she might leak things to the Commonwealth..."_

_"Ah, oui... That's a good point there..."_

In the end, France didn't mind. He only wished that the two girls and the two boys would stop trying to confuse him with their pretty much identical looks!

_Famille est un merveilleux cadeau._

_Appréciez sa chaleur et du réconfort à la fin de votre vie parce que rien ne pourra jamais remplacer ces liens que vous partagez._

_L'embrasser et le retenir dans votre cœur et de ne jamais perdre confiance dans ceux que vous aimez._

_Vous ne serez jamais délaissé, même si il semble que Dieu a laissé à vos côtés._


End file.
